System of predetermined constant water supply and faucet nozzle therefor



NOV. 5, 1929. KERSTEN I 1,734,583

SYSTEM OF PREDETERMINED CONSTANT WATER SUPPLY AND FAUCET NOZZLE THEREFOR Filed Aug. 21, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 S. KERSTEN Nov. 5, 1929.

SYSTEM OF PREDETERMINED CONSTANT WATER SUPPLY AND FAUCET NOZZLE THEREFOR 2 Shets-rSheet 2 Filed Aug. 21, 1925 Patented Nov. 5, 1929 PATENT OFFICE SAMUEL KERSTEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS SYSTEM OF PREDETERMINED CONSTANT WATER SUPPLY AND FAUCET NOZZLE THEREFOR Application filed August 21, 1925.

My invention relates to a system of predetermined constant water supply and faucetnozzle therefor, :an object being to provide a system and device of the above character having certain features of construction and control so as to bring about certain .savings and also better operation.

Heretofore in water supply systems very little attention has been paid to the saving of water, installations generally having been such as not to provide a proper control of the water delivery or discharge from the faucets, with the result that there has been a great wastage not only of the actual water,

but where heated water is used there has been a great and unnecessary expense in the heating thereof. Also because of such uncontrolled nozzle discharge or delivery, installations have been more expensive because of the larger piping required, and where heating apparatushasbeen employed it has meant the installation of larger heating apparatus than is otherwise necessary, thereby increas ing not only the cost of installation but the maintenanceas well.

One of the features of my invention is the provision of means for controlling the delivcry or nozzle discharge, so as to effect a predetermined constant water supply at various so nozzles throughout a system and so that irrespective of the pressure, for the pressures vary at different nozzles, readily interchangeable parts are provided so that thepredetermined limited amount only may be supplied.

Another feature of my invention is the provision of a faucet nozzle which not only has the above advantage, but also has a socalled non-splash construction, that is in whichalthough the supply to the nozzle is cut down toa very small stream or orifice, nevertheless the delivery or discharge at the nozzle opening comesin the form of a substantially solid easy flowing streamwith substantially no splash.

Another featureof my invention is that the nozzle is so constructed that it increases the mixing of the hot and cold water where such is supplied, as through a mixing faucet or through separate hot and cold water faucets.

In the preferred form of my invention it Serial No. 51,707.

is applied to a mixing valve or faucet of the character shown in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,462,413, issued July 17, 1923.

- Iam aware that water control devices have heretofore been applied inside the piping or to the rear of the faucets, but these have been unsatisfactory for various reasons. For instance, such devices have required the removal of the faucets or other piping in order to change them if a change in delivery was desired or if the pressure was changed. Also such devices when becoming clogged, required the removal of piping or faucets in order to remove obstructions. Furthermore, such prior devices have required the installation of a greater number, as for example where combination hot and cold water faucets were used, than in my improved arrangement.

These various objections have all been overcome in my present invention, which also has other added features already referred to and which will hereinafter be pointed out.

For a better understanding of'my invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing a typical installation of water supply;

Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the preferred form of nozzle which I employ and particularly constructed for application to the mixing valve or faucet of my patent referred to itbove, and which faucet is indicated by dotted mes; 1

Fig. 3 isa top plan viewof the nozzle only of Fig. 2; I v

Fig. 4 is another form of nozzle adapted for use with spray or other fixtures, a spray attachment being shown applied thereto; and

Fig.5 is a top plan view of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a lower plan View of a portion of the spay attachment shown in Fig. 5.

Referring now more in detail to the general arrangement as shown in Fig. 1, I have illustrated a section extending up through the floors of a building showing a cold water supply pipe 10 and a hot watersupply pipe 11, thelatter extending upwardly from a water heater 12 such'as is usually located in the basemeat of a building. I also show laundry employed in factories or other places where a number of people wash up at one time, and I show a number of combination hot and cold water faucets 21 to 24; disposed above the sink and respectively connected to the cold and hot water pipes and 11.

In installations, of which that of Fig. l is typical, numerous water faucets are disposed around a building and in such cases although the water pressure at the main supply is substantially constant, the pressures throughout the building vary to some extent, depending upon the distance from the main supply at the basement, the number of faucets which might be attached to a single pipe, as for example on the third floor. Also such pressures vary from other causes.

I-Ieretofore it has been the general practice to supply faucets of the same type or delivery at various places throughout a building, irrespective of the differences in pressure between different points, with the result that although where the pressure is low, the wastage of water is not so great, where the pressure is higher, as for example in the basement, the wastage of water because of the greater pressure at the faucet is considerable.

As previously stated, an effort has been made to restrict the delivery of the various pieces of apparatus by the installation of restrictive elements inside the piping or back of the faucets, but this has been objectionable for reasons heretofore stated.

By my improved method of control I provide a control element at the outlet of the.

faucet, preferably in the form of a nozzle of the character shown in Figs. 2 and 3. device may be supplied in various sizes, that is with the inlet orifice proportioned so as to supply a predetermined delivery or discharge with a predetermined pressure. The nozzle may be of one general outside size but with different inlets and outlets. The nozzle as shown comprises a suitable cylindrical body 30 suitably threaded so as to be inserted into the outlet of the faucet, and in the preferred form as shown this is in the nature of a threaded shank 31 continuing upwardly as a head 32 adapted to extend into the faucet outlet and shaped so as to receive a supply of water around the outside. That is, in this form of nozzle the head 32 is'tapered and the inlet is in the form of a plurality of orifices 33, preferably oppositely disposed so that the This streams of water coming therethrough will meet and more thoroughly mix and then flow downwardly through the outlet orifice or chamber 34.

In the preferred form of nozzle I provide a construction which not only supplies the desired delivery or discharge, but this discharge is also of a nonsplash nature. To this end this outlet orifice 34 I find should preferably be such as to take up the water supplied through the inlet orifices, the outlet being sufflciently larger and long enough so as to fill up and reduce the velocity of the flow through the inlets and produce a substantially solid non-splash stream. I have also secured a most effective delivery by proportioning the inlet and outlet of the nozzle so that the inlet is substantially 5 4% of the outlet.

For example, in a nozzle having inlets 33 made by a No. 52 drill and a inch outlet 34, two such inlets give a total area inlet of .00633 of a square inch, while the inch outlet gives an area of .11045 of a square inch. The inlet area in this case is 5 4% of the outlet. Another example is that in which two inlets are used, each made by a No. lit drill, giving a total inletarea of .0116 of a square inch, with a inch outlet giving an outlet area of .19635 of a square inch, the inlet being 5, of the outlet.

Other sizes may be proportioned accord ingly.

Thus these nozzles may be supplied in a standard shape, with various inlets and outlets so that they may be readily and interchangeably applied to faucets at various points throughout a building so as to furnish a suitable delivery. IV here a number of faucets as 21 to 24 are used, with all of the faucets turned on the pressure at the end is less than near the supply pipes, and in such case the nozzles may be applied with increas ing area from the end of the wall pipes to the supply pipes 101l, so that not only ill each faucet deliver only sufficient water for the desired purpose, such as for washing, but the supply will be in the nature of a nonsplash stream.

Where heretofore the delivery of a faucet has been determined by the extent to which it is opened at its valve, that is by the faucet handle, a greatwastage of water has occurred because of the carelessness of the average person in not conserving water. In other words, it most frequently happens that the faucet handle is simply turned open all the way. Where the internal restrictive devices have been used, they have been objectionable because of the difficulty and expense of installation. and maintenance. These objections, however, as previously stated, I have overcome.

In the form of my nozzle as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, I find that by properly proportioning the inlet and outlet as already described, the nozzle works well within a great range of pressures such as might occur in any ordinary installation and the delivery stream is substantially without splash, although the same nozzle may he applied to faucets having a great variation in the feed water pressure. In other words, differences of pressure within practical ranges make practically no difforence in the stream outlet so far as smooth delivery and non-splash is concerned.

In Figs. l and 5 I show another form of nozzle having a spray heat 35 attached thereto and in which the inlet orifice 36 extends through the end instead of through the side wall of the body. lVhere using a water spray such as 35 or a bath spray for example, it is unnecessary to take care of the non-splash feature as in the above nozzle, but by restricting the inlet orifice 36 so as to supply only the desired amount of water, wastage is eliminated, for no matter how far the valve is opened, the required amount of water only is delivered because the control of the flow at the nozzle is beyond the valve gate.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A nozzle for use on water faucets comprising a short tubular member for attachment to the outlet of the faucet and including a cap portion extending up into the faucet outlet and having an outlet chamber extending upwardly from the mouth of the nozzle to the head, and a water inlet extending laterally through the wall of the head into the outlet chamber of an area sufficiently reduced below that of the outlet chamber to substantially lill the outlet chamber during delivery with a substantially reduced velocity of delivery flow.

2. A nozzle for use on water faucets comprising a tubular member for attachment to the outlet of the faucet and including a head portion extending up into the faucet outlet and having an outlet chamber extending upwardly from the mouth of the nozzle to the head, and a water inlet comprising a plurality of radially disposed inlet orifices of restricted area extending through the side wall of the head.

3. A removable nozzle for use on water faucets comprising a tubular member with exterior threads adapting it to be screwed into a faucet, a relatively long portion extending below the threads, and an interior cone portion extending upwardly from the threads, a relatively large tubular passageway being provided and extending through the entire nozzle up to the cone, and radially disposed openings being provided at the base of the cone and connecting with said longitudinal passageway, the total area of said openings being considerably less than the area of said longitudinal passageway.

4. A nozzle as defined in claim 3 wherein the total area of said radial openings is approximately five and three quarters percent of the area of the outlet.

5. A water saving nozzle for application to the outlet side of a faucet, said nozzle having a head adapted to project up into the faucet with a relatively large outlet passage- Way extending up into the head, and the head being provided with a pair of small inlet openings communicating with the outlet passageway, and facing each other with their axes in line.

6. In a system of water supply adapted to deliver from standard faucets a predetermined volume of water regardless of the pressure at the faucets, a plurality of nozzles for removable attachment to the faucets, the nozzles having inlet openings of restricted area sized to deliver the said predetermined volume, and outlet springs communicating with the inlets and of sufficient length to materially decrease the velocity of flow below the velocity of the restricted inlets, so that a predetermined volume of flow is provided at each faucet in the form of a slow solid stream.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 24th day of July, 1925.

SAMUEL KERSTEN. 

